Radiator guard and method of making same



Sept. 19, 1933. G. E. WHITLOCK 1, 27,

RADIATORGUARD AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed March 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 19, 1933. G- w oc 1,927,328

RADIATOR GUARD AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed March 27, 1933 Z-Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES RADIATOR GUARD AND METHOD OF MAKINGSAME George E. Whitlock, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The City Auto Stamping Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application March 27, 1933.

8 Claims.

The invention relates to guards or grills such as are used'for the protection of motor vehicle radiators and the invention consists in the novel construction and method of forming the same as hereinafter set forth. r

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one of therpressed blank sections; Fig-2 is a similar view of the complementary pressed blank sections; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the two sections assembled; Fig. 4 is an end elevation thereof; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the pressed blanks of one of the modified constructions; Fig. '7 is a similar view of the com plementary section; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the sections assembled; Fig. 9 is an end elevation; Fig. 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Fig. 8. r

In the present state of the art it is, quite common to protect motor vehicle radiators with ornamental guards or grills which permit free access of air to the radiator but which conceal it from view. In one type of construction the guard is formed from pressed sheet metal and is provided with a series of vertically extending bars, each of U-shaped cross section which gives the appearance of greater width. For mechanical strength and also to more efiectively conceal the radiator these bars are placed comparatively close to each other and are of a depth which is as great or greater than the space between adjacent bars. This renders it diflicult to form the guard from a single pressed sheet metal blank, as obviously there is insufficient material in the blank between adjacent bars to form the U-shaped sections of their required depth. Therefore it has been'customary to form the bars separately and subsequently to attach their opposite ends to each other to form the guard or grill.

It is the object of the present invention to obtain a construction where a plurality of bars can be formed from an integral sheet metal blank while at the same time these bars are of the desired depth and in the completed structure are closely spaced. This I have accomplished by the pressing of a plurality of blanks, the adjacent bars of which are more widely spaced than in the finished structure but are connected to each other at one or both ends. These separately pressed secticns are then assembled to place the bars of one intermediate the bars of the other, thereby obtaining the desired spacing.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, A is a sheet metal blank which is pressed to form a series of bars B, B, etc. each of a U-shaped cross section and Serial No. 663,086

spaced from each other a'suflicient distance to provide the desired depth to the U flanges. All of these bars are integral with each other, being connected by portiions C and C at opposite ends of the blank. A similar blank D is pressed to form corresponding bars E, E, etc. but so positioned that when the blanks A and D are superposed the bars E, E, etc. will be intermediate the bars B, B, etc. This blank D is also provided with end portions F and F for connecting all of the bars and the two blankshave their flanges C, C, F, F attached to eachother byspot welding or other suitable means. To form a flush outer face the flanges F and F of the blank D are offset from the front of the bearings as indicated at G an amount equal to the thickness of the blank A. Also the opposite ends of the bars are preferably provided with rounded fillets H and the blank A is cut away at I for receiving the end portions of the bars E.

The construction shown in Figs. 6 to 10 is the same as that previously described with the exception that the bars J are connected to each other at one end only by the portion K of the original blank, the opposite ends of said bars 80.- being free. This section is assembled with a similarly formed section L with the free ends of the bars of one overlapping the integral flange of the other. These free ends are then spot welded or otherwise attached to the flange.

My improved construction can be manufactured more economically than constructions in which the bars are separately formed and are individually attached to the connecting structure. This method also results in a better prodnet as the bars being formed in a single die are exactly positioned in each blank and when these blanks are superposed they are held in exact relation to each other.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The method of forming guards or grills which consists in pressing a plurality of sheet metal blanks to form in each a series of parallel bars of U-shaped cross section, all united to each portions of one blank superposed on the end por- I10 tion of the other blank and in securing to each other said superposed end portions.

3. The method of forming guards or grills comprising the pressing of a plurality of sheet metal blanks to form in each a series of parallel U- shaped bars, the depth of the flanges of said bars being equal to one-half the space between bars and the ends of the bars being attached with end portions of the blank, assembling the pressed blanks with the bars of one intermediate the other and with the end portions of the blanks overlapping each other whereby the depth of the bars in the assembled structure is substantially equal to the space between bars..

4. The method of forming guards or grills com prising the pressing of a plurality of sheet metal blanks to form in each a series of parallel bars of U-shaped cross section, all of said bars being attached at one end with an integral portion of the blank and being free from each other at their opposite ends, assembling the pressed blanks with the connected ends of one opposite the free ends of the other and in attaching said free ends to the integral end of the adjacent blank.

5. A guard or grill comprising a plurality of pressed sheet metal sections, each consisting of a plurality of spaced bars of U-shaped cross section and a connecting portion at an end of said bars integ'ral therewith, said pressed sheet metal sections being superposed with thebars of one section intermediate the bars of the other section and a connecting portion at each end.

6. A guard or grill comprising a plurality of pressed sheet metal sections each consisting of a plurality of parallel bars of U-shaped cross section and a connecting portion at an end of said bars integral therewith, said sections being superposed with the bars of two sections intermediate the bars of the other section and with the end portions of said bars in the two sections secured to each other.

'7. A guard or grill comprising a plurality of pressed sheet metal sections each consisting of a plurality of parallel bars of U-shaped cross section and a connecting portion at each end of said bars integral therewith, said sections being superposed with the bars of one section intermediate the bars of the other section and the connecting portions of said sections welded to each other.

8. A guard or grill comprising a plurality of pressed sheet metal sections, each consisting of a plurality of parallel bars of U-shaped cross section, and a connecting portion at one end between said bars and integral therewith, the opposite end portions being free, said sections being superposed with the bars of one section intermediate the bars of the other section and with the connecting portions of said sections at opposite ends of said bars, the free ends of the bars ofv eachsection being welded to the connection portion of r the other section.

' GEORGE E. WHITLOCK. 

